5-year-old captures mom in raw parenting moment: See the viral photo

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The Australian photographer's 5-year-old son captured her with his little sister in a sweet moment, taking a smartphone snapshot now seen by thousands of people across the Internet.

Bannister, from Perth, Western Australia, shared a story on Facebook of how her infant daughter had been sick, and in an effort to soothe the baby, she climbed into the shower with the young girl, holding her under the running water in a "sleep-deprived haze."

It was then that her oldest child, Taj, ran into the bathroom with her phone and took the photo.

Bannister, who also has a 3-year-old, comes from a long line of photographers and wasn't surprised by her son's inclination to take the photo: "Being around cameras and capturing moments is the norm for us," she said.

Kelli Bannister with her family. Kelli Bannister

And now the sweet photo — revealing a mom in such a tender moment — has gone viral.

"I was debating whether or not to post this, but this is real, raw, and one of the absolute worst parts of motherhood that at some stage, we will all go through," Bannister wrote in the popular Facebook post, which has been shared thousands of times. "The part nothing or no one can prepare you for, the part where you would give every ounce of your entire being to make your poor baby feel OK again. Every cry and every tear makes your heart break just that little bit more, and your only wish is that it was you instead."

Bannister said she thinks other parents can relate to the post, yet she's shocked by all the positive feedback her story has gotten.

"I am extremely taken aback by the huge response this has received... but at the same time, I'm incredibly humbled at how much of an emotional impact this has had on so many amazing people," she said. "Some of the stories I have read have been truly heartwarming. I think it has gone so viral because people can relate, moms and dads have been there, done that, and are doing that! It's a tough gig sometimes, and many people don't talk about it."